Stay updated with the news and events from Thailand's Masonic community. This blog provides updates to special events and interesting tidbits to Freemasons in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and all around Thailand.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Well apparently much has changed in the French Masonic community while I was sleeping (blogwise that is).

The National Grand Lodge of France (GLNF) is no longer represented in Thailand. All of the former GLNF lodges have left that Grand Lodge. R:.L:. Foederis Arca joined the Grand Lodge of China in 2012. The remaining lodges have joined an interesting new concept, the Grand Lodge of the French Masonic Alliance (GL-AMF).

According to their website and that pre-eminent source of information, Wikipedia, the GL-AMF is a confederation of Grand Lodges in France including the regular, but unrecognized Grand Lodge of France.

There are of course two problems with this equation. Firstly, the GL-AMF is unrecognized. So the former GLNF lodges that were once recognized are no longer. In Thailand, this is a big deal. Members frequently visit lodges in Bangkok from other constitutions and are often plural members. Tearing them away from the other brethren in such a small Masonic community has a devastating impact.

The second problem is that since the GL-AMF includes lodges and Grand Lodges that were never previously recognized by mainstream Masonry and may or may not be regular. This significantly reduces the probability that these formerly recognized lodges will ever receive recognition ever again.

I sincerely hope that the former GLNF lodges will soon find a way to become recognized and rejoin the mainstream Masonic family once again. I hope to one day join my French brethren once again in Masonic discussions. I dream of one day witnessing a Scottish Rite 30th degree done properly by overly-dramatic Frenchmen. That will be a joy.